Spy Plane Crew Honored
The U.S. Navy spy plane crew at the center of an 11-day standoff with China last month received medals from the Pentagon Friday and got personal thanks from President Bush.
Mr. Bush shook hands with each of the 24 crew members at the White House and said progress had been made with China in negotiations to return the EP-3E aircraft, damaged in an April 1 collision with a Chinese fighter jet, to the United States.
"I am thrilled to be able to look you in the eye and say thanks for your service to the country," the president told the men and women.
"You handled yourselves with such class and dignity, it was important for our nation to realize the fine caliber of people that serve our country and we're really proud of you," he said.
In a colorful ceremony at nearby Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, the Navy plane's pilot, Lt. Shawn Osborn, was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for wrestling the crippled four-engine craft under control after the collision and landing it at a Chinese military base on Hainan Island.
Osborn is credited with saving his crew by bringing the four-engine propeller plane out of an uncontrolled dive for an emergency landing.
The other 23 crew members received the Air Medal for heroism. Osborn, 26, and the senior enlisted man on the crew, Senior Chief Nicholas Mellos, also got the Meritorious Service Award.
The medals were pinned on by Army Gen. Henry Shelton, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and the crew was praised in a speech by Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Another EP-3E, used to gather electronic intelligence, was parked nearby on the tarmac.
Saying that the crew and other members of the U.S. military daily defended the United States against "the unknown, the uncertain, the unseen and the unexpected," Rumsfeld appeared to fire a barb at critics of high U.S. defense spending.
"You are not a burden on our economy. You are the critical foundation for its growth," he told the crew.
The Pentagon says the April 1 collision was the fault of a reckless Chinese pilot, Wang Wei, who died in the incident. China blames it on the spy plane.
The United States was only able to secure the crew's release from Hainan island after 11 days in custody when it said it was "very sorry" for Wang's death and the emergency landing. That apparently satisfied Chinese demands for an apology.
The crew has been hailed as heroes since their return, starring in hometown parades and getting spoofed on Saturday Night Live. Osborn and his co-pilot, Lt. j.g. John Comerford, were guests at the White House Correspondents' Dinner.
Among Navy medals, the Distinguished Flying Cross ranks among the most prestigious, ahead of the Bronze Star and just below the Legion of Merit. It is awarded for an act of heroism or achieement in flight "so exceptional and outstanding as to clearly set the individual apart" from his comrades, according to military records.
The commander of Pacific Fleet, Adm. Thomas Fargo, was reported to have recommended Osborn for the award.
The spy plane incident severely strained already tense relations with the communist giant. An April 18 meeting between American and Chinese officials failed to resolve the dispute. China has so far refused to allow the plane to fly home on its own power, but negotiations continue.
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